Buko-Pandan Float

I went to the grocery last weekend and bought 2 boxes of nestle cream with a plan to make buko-pandan pie for the validation guys. While looking for my ingredients i was surprised to see that there's a new variety of Nestle cream out in the market, its the Buko and Strawberry flavored Nestle Cream. Good timing. No need for me to look for buko flavor since the cream already has its own, so i took another 2 boxes, neglecting Strawberry since i'm not a fan of it, head down to the baking section, took all the remaining ingredients and went home. When i was about to start with my buko-pandan pie, i remembered that i don't have a circle pan for a pie! Got no more butter in the ref, bought crackers instead of crushed graham and the most unfortunate of all, i forgot to buy buko shreds! Very nice. How can it be a buko-pandan pie without the real buko? So i drop the idea.

The next day, while i was walking home along Humay-humay street, a bahay-kubo near our house (which i haven't noticed before) sells exactly what i need. A buko. But this time, instead of making a pie I decided to do a buko-pandan float even without a recipe to follow, i know its not that difficult since i'm just making a little twist with the usual float and I'm quite positive that whatever fruits and flavors you mix with your cream it'll still taste good.

Dessert of the Day: Buko-Pandan Float

Ingredients:
2 box of Buko-flavored Nestle cream
1 can condense milk
2 pcs buko, meat shredded
buko-pandan coloring/flavoring

Procedure:
1. Combine nestle cream and condense milk in a bowl, add few drops of coloring and mix. Cream should be color light green. Set aside cream.
2. Arrange graham crackers in the bottom of the pan and spread a portion of your cream on top.
3. Cover cream with buko shreds. The more the merrier.
3. Repeat procedure 2-3 till all cream and buko are used.
4. Chill and serve.


I've been craving for sweets lately that's why i made 2 floats in a row but when it comes to sweet tooth, nothing can beat Ian. =).


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Choco Magnifico

Got the recipe of this in one of the food labels at the grocery, I did this before and its good, tastes like Coffee Mocha ice cream. Don't have a camera that time that's why i haven't taken its pic, just remembered to post its recipe because of an experimented buko-pandan float that i did few days ago.

Dessert of the Day: "Choco Magnifico"

Ingredients:
2 box Nestle Cream
1 can condense milk
1 tbsp - Nescafe Classic diluted in hot water
1 pack Graham crackers
few pieces of Oreo cookies - cracked into bits
chocolate shavings or choco bits

Procedure:
1. Combine Nestle cream and condense milk in a bowl. Add your diluted coffee then mix. Set aside the cream mixture.
2. Arrange first layer of graham crackers at the bottom of the pan, cover it with a portion of your cream and layer Oreo cookies and choco-wafer sticks on top.
3. Repeat procedure 2 and 3 until all cream are used.
4. Cover last layer of cream with chocolate shavings or bits.
5. Chill before serving.


I'm thinking i'll do this again, hopefully next week (kung naa pko kwarta). =)

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"Fish Inun-unan/Pinamalhan"

I went home this weekend to join Masskara Festival in Bacolod. Did a lot of activities in just 4 days, from morning jog at the lagoon, malling, baby sitting, cooking, baking and street partying. It was very tiring yet I enjoyed every moment of it. I still have a hang-over right now, still tired and sleepy of my last nights trip.

Over the weekend i baked carrot and chocolate cake for Papa's post birthday celebration, though it was baked for his birthday he was not allowed to eat sweets for sugar prevention (too bad). Aside from the cakes i also prepared "inun-unan/pinamalhan" and pochero, this time i did not forget to take pics of pochero but on the chocolate cake i did, it was all gone when i was about to take the pic. I was really planning to cook rice binagoongan and calamaris that day but since my allergy is back, change of plan. Maybe this weekend i'll try.

Menu for the Day: "Fish Inun-unan/Pinamalhan"

Ingredients:
1/2 k fish
1 cup native vinegar
1 head of garlic, crushed
2 pc onion, sliced
1 pc ginger, sliced

Procedure:
Add all ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil. If you want it real sour, add vinegar, if not, add a little amount of water. Let it cook for about 20 minutes or until your vinegar seeps in.



My weekend carrot cake

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La Pasta Carbonara

Early this morning i prepared a hotdog carbonara (suppose to be bacon but i don't have one) to be brought in the office for snacks. Don't be fooled by the looks, this is not a real home made carbonara. The seasoning of this and the cork screw pasta came from 1 pack, instant food if i may say. All i did was to add water, milk, butter, dash of pepper, hotdog and basil leaves - and charan!! - a La Pasta Carbonara. I'm not really a fan of carbonara, i prefer thick sauced pasta thats why i decided to try an instant pack first before making the real one. I forgot the name of the pasta pack, i just bought it somewhere in SM. Neways, this are just for snacks, and i hope they'll like it. =)

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Ginger Fried Spring Rolls

This is one recipe that i took from the show Ka-Toque. Every Saturday i would sit in front of my TV, wait for the show and copy the recipes they cook. Though they don't give you the exact amounts of ingredients used they will show you how to do it and its quite easy to follow.

Last night i made this recipe but since i don't have the exact amount I just estimated the ingredients. The output was OK but the taste is a little too strong because i have added too much ginger on it (living up to its name). Good thing i bought a sweet chili sauce, it complemented the taste of ginger and a nice cold Coke for the chaser.

Anyway, i'll list down the ingredients here but you could modify the amount "depende sa kaon ninyo". Mine is only good for two.



Menu for the Day: Ginger Fried Spring Rolls

Ingredients:
1 small potato, finely chopped
1 small tomato, finely chopped
1 tsp chopped ginger
half of small carrot, julienned
1 med fish meat, cubed
1 pc garlic, chopped
1 pc onion, chopped
lumpia wrapper
black pepper
Ajinomoto Ginisa Mix (nag promote pa! hehe)
egg white
oil

Procedure:
1. Saute onion, garlic and fish. Add tomatoes, potatoes, ginger and carrots.
2. Dash with black pepper and season with Aji-ginisa mix.
3. Remove from heat and let it cool.
4. Put a table spoon full in your lumpia wrapper and roll. Seal wrap with egg whites.
5. Heat oil in a pan, fry your spring rolls until golden brown.



Best served with sweet chili sauce. =)

Culinary Term for the day:
Julienne - cut into long thin strips

Okidoki?? Have a nice day!

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Carrot Cake

my carrot cake pasalubong

It always makes me smile everytime i see or hear about carrot cake, coz the very reason why we agreed to meet for the first time at Cafe de France in the early morning of January 7, 2008 was to give him my pasalubong from Bacolod, my home baked Carrot cake. Though that was my very first carrot cake and its not that "lami" he still insisted that i should let him taste so i brought some for him and its just so funny because the cake that i made was more like a fruit-carrot-cake pudding with raisins on top. Though least significant but somehow the cake became a part of our story.

The second time i baked carrot cake was here in Cebu and its more delicious than the first one; this is the recipe that i'm going to share with you today.

Dessert for the Day: Carrot Cake

For Cake
Ingredients:
2 eggs
3/4 c vegetable oil
1 c flour
1 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon powder
dash of salt
1 1/2 c grated carrots
3/4 c chips walnut

Procedure:
1. Beat eggs. Add oil and sugar. mix well.
2. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and carrots. Mix.
3. Bake for 30min in 325 deg. F.

Frostings
Ingredients:
8 ounce cream cheese
1/2 c soften butter
4 c confectioner sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Procedure:
1. Beat cheese and butter, add sugar and vanilla. Mix well and spread over carrot.

Haven't tried making the frosting yet "kay kamahal sang cream cheese", but according to my cousin, carrot cakes tastes even more delicious when with frosting.

Next time, if i already have the budget. =)


Ciao!

Update: Chocolate Moist Cake

I watched the pilot episode of True Confections last Saturday in QTv and OMG the desserts are so tempting! I can't help but drool over the cakes and wish that I was the guest or the chef. I really can't stop envying the chefs of the show, how i wish i have all the money in the world to study world class culinary arts but poor me, I'm just one of those viewers wishing the same luck. Haaay.

These past few weeks I've been inquiring about culinary classes here in cebu but up until now i'm still in inquiry stage, hopefully October classes of UCLM haven't started yet coz i still have to save up for my tuition fee. Haaay, again...

"Lord, sana matupad na yung wish ko... i wanna be a chef!" =)

Neways, I have an update on the Chocolate Moist Cake posted last month. Please check.

For the cake's filling, instead of using the same mixture for frosting you could use coffee and milk. Here's how:

For filling:
8 egg yolks
1 can condense milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp coffee powder

Procedure:
1. Add eggs, milk, coffee and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer for 2 minutes.
2. Cook the filling until thick and spreading consistency.
3. Spread in filling in between the cakes.


For those who are cooking and baking fanatics like me, check these shows:

Ka-Toque - Saturdays, 11am, QTv
Quick Fire - Week Nights, 7:10pm, QTv
True Confections - Saturdays, 6:30pm, QTv


Now you know whats my favorite TV channel.. =)

Enjoy!

"Bicol Express"

Yesterday i tried cooking Bicol Express that Jay have been longing to eat for quite some time now. Though i don't eat and don't know how to cook Bicol Express, i went to the market and bought the ingredients i think would suit the dish. I based my cooking from the recipe i found in the net (different from what I'm looking for) and posted the word "BAHALA NA" in my head. Aside from it's usual hot chillies and meat I added some vegetables into it; string beans, ampalaya and eggplant. I served it during dinner yet not quite sure if it'll pass his taste or not, but based on his reaction i think i did OK. Assuming. Hehe. Somehow I'm just a newbie to cooking and I know I still need a lot of practice.


His comment:
- "ok man pud 2ng imong gibuhat, kulang lang cguro sa uban pa na gulay; alugbati, okra, kalabasa..."
(tanan man na di ko ganahan na gulay ang gi-request.. eeww.. hehe)


I won't post the procedure guys "kay trial pa lang to". =)

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Mangga-Sago Dessert

Dessert for the day: Mangga-Sago Dessert

Ingredients:
2 box Nestle Cream
1 can condense milk
1/3 K sago
3 pcs ripe mangoes

Procedure:
1. Boil half full water in a pot, add your sago and stir. Wait until it becomes transparent, add more water until no white spot remains at the center. Strain.
2. Slice your mangoes into small cubes.
3. Mix your cream and condense milk, add your sago and mangoes. Chill.


Best when chilled overnight so the taste of the mangoes will blend with the cream.

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Coconut Macaroons

This is one of the easiest dessert you could bake, just like your one-step hot cake mix, you mix it all and your done. Way back in my high school days my mama would always bake cakes for us and sometimes desserts, one of my favorite is her carrot cake (before, I only eat carrot if its a cake). I also remember the time when we used to make yema balls and polvoron to sell at school, we would all pile up in the table and get our share of "tinda", but before that, we already ate some of the foods that we were supposed to sell.

Macaroons was also one of the desserts taught in our culinary class, from that time i think have baked several sets already. In my previous boarding house it was convenient to bake since we had an oven, i baked some for my friends and some for my office mates, and baked some at home. But now that i am living alone, without a kitchen and an oven, i guess it'll take some time before i could make macaroons again.

Dessert for the day: Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients:
1/4 c butter (soften)
1/3 c flour
200 g desiccated coconut
1/4 sugar
1 can big condense milk
2 pcs egg

Procedure:
1. In a bowl put all the ingredients and mix.
2. Put the mixture into small macaroon pans with colored baking cups. Top with raisin.
3. Bake at 350 deg F for 20 mins or until top is finely browned.



Me making macaroons at home..


Easy, right?? So go ahead and give it a try but dont forget to share some okiez... =)


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Chocolate Moist Cake

Cake baked during culinary class

It was during our 1st day in culinary class at USC Girls High that we baked this cake. On that day we cooked about 5 dishes that was distributed to each member, i can't remember who were incharge of the cake but each one of us helped on the preparation, from sifting to mixing and stirring. After four hours of scrumbling (kay di pa kabalo magluto) and getting things mixed up, we survived cooking, good thing that all the foods we prepared tasted good. We had a feast right after class coz we ate all the foods we cooked, leaving the cake for snacks since we're too full to eat.

That afternoon I brought my part of the cake to Bacolod and gave it to my mama and papa for pasalubong (kay wala ko lain na pasalubong =). We never minded the cake during lunch but i was surprised when mama and papa told me that it was delicious, i took a small bite and yes, it was. Even my group mates in culinary shared the same surprise, we cooked a very delicious cake. =)

The next time i went home to Bacolod, i baked cakes for all of them, one on New Year's Eve and one before i went back to Cebu. When i ran out of ingredients for the 2nd cake, i experimented on it, instead of using filled milk for the cake i used baby's powdered milk which is tasteless and changed the washed sugar to brown sugar. The result according to them (kay nagbalik nako sa cebu), the cake was more tasty and the frosting was more creamy and chocolaity, much more delicious than the first one.


New Year's Chocolate Cake

Dessert for the day: Chocolate Moist Cake

Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
2 c all purpose flour
1.5 c sugar
3/4 c cocoa powder
.5 c vegetable oil
1 c diluted milk
1 c boiling water
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp iodized salt
2 pcs eggs

Procedure:
Mix all dry ingredients and make a well and add the rest of the ingredients. Beat by electric mixer for 3-4mins. Pour in a lined round pan 9x1" or 9x1.5". Bake at 350 deg. for 25 to 30 minutes or until done.

For Frosting/Filling
Ingredients:
1/3 c cocoa powder
1.5 c evaporated milk
1/3 c cornstarch
1 c white sugar
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla flavor

Procedure:
Mix all and strain. Cook in a double boiler or slow fire with constant stirring.



How to put frostings on cake.. =)

For Filling:
1. Cut cake into half, horizontally.
2. Pour mixture on top of the first half of the cake.
3. Put 2nd half of the cake on top and cover with the remaining frostings.



2nd - experimented Chocolate Cake

So there you go, my very 1st baking session here in blog. Hopefully next time i could bake something for you guys, kaso wala dri ang ako na oven, so blog blog nlg sah ta.. hehe..

Up next, macaroons npud...
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"Nilusgusan na Pasayan"

This is what my Nanay (Auntie) call this dish but I don't actually know the meaning of the word "nilusgusan", basta for her, as long as you cook your prawns with Sprite or Soy sauce it is called "nilusgusan". This is one of the first few dish that i learned to cook during High School, with matching instructions written in a sheet of paper from my Mama. Right now i'm trying different dishes using prawns and sadly, I only made 3 due to the rising cost of prawns and the limitation of my time (I only cook during weekends) .

And just this Sunday we had our TUP-V_Cebu Chapter Reunion at Hadsan Beach Resort, our group LEAR Corporation pledged a viand and a variety of fruits for the activity. Since all kinds of lechon we're already on the list it gave us no choice but to have seafoods even if its costly, good thing that there are lots of TUP-Vians here at Lear so we have accumulated a good amount of money for the prawns, and that's how we came up with Nilusgusan na Pasayan due to its few ingredients and easy to cook.


Menu for the day: "Nilusgusan na Pasayan"

Ingredients:
butter/oil
1/2K prawns, cleaned
1pc ginger, sliced
1pc spring onions, chopped
1/4cup soy sauce
2cups Sprite (softdrink)
salt

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Sautee ginger until aroma comes out. Add prawns and wait until it turns pink.

2. Add soy sauce and Sprite, let it boil for a few minutes.

3. Season with salt. Taste should be sweet and have a tang (because of soy sauce).

4. If done, add spring onions on top. Serve hot.


Oh, i have to add, for the amount of sauce or "sabaw" on your prawns it really depends on who will eat the food, because others like it with "sabaw", others do not. You can discard the "sabaw" if you want, its your choice. =)


Btw, here are my schoolmate's comment on the food:
- nami man dyapon pero mas namit ang una na my butter kg gamay ang sabaw.. (so i guess i'll stick with butter in sautee-ing the prawns huh?? I will next time, basta dili na 3kilos ang lutuon.. makulangan nya ta sa budget.. hehe..)
- two thumbs up!!


Thanks for the comment guys, til' next food trip! =)

Pochero (Bacolod Style)

Masskara weekend in Bacolod

They say Ilonggo's are very sweet, maybe because they came from Sugarlandia or simply because they love to eat sweets. That's why our dish for today is pochero, Bacolod style. This is different from the Pochero made here in Cebu or in Manila because we use banana (saba) and sweet potatoes to make it sweet. This dish is usually served during "handaan" or fiesta and during celebrations or important occasions (sa nanotice ko lang ha).

I made one a few weeks back, i shared some to my neighbors and some to my loved ones. They say it's a li'l too sweet (it is...) but if I'm to rate what i did, i'll get an 8. Hey, I'm an Ilonggo so I am entitled to rate myself according to Ilonggo's pochero standard. Okiezz?? =)

So, lemme share to you how to cook pochero in Ilonggo way...

== Readers discretion is advised == hehehe...


Menu for the day: Pochero

Ingredients:
6clove garlic, minced
1pc onion, chopped
1pc pork cube
5pc banana (saba), sliced
4pc sweet potatoes, sliced
pechay, sliced
1/2k pork
salt

Procedure:
1. In a hot pot, sautee pork in garlic, onions and pork cube until pork turns brown.
2. Add about 4-5 cups of water into the pot and bring to a boil. Wait until pork becomes tender.
3. Add kamote and wait for about 15 minutes.
4. Add sliced banana and wait until kamote and banana becomes tender. Add salt to taste. (Broth should be creamy and sweet because of kamote and banana).
5. Add sliced pechay and cover the pot, let it boil once.
6. Turn off fire. Serve hot.

I'll post a pic if makaluto ko balik... =)
update - went home this weekend to join Masskara Festival, cooked pochero and took this pic.

Till next post... Good day everyone!


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Pork Sinigang

Here's one dish that everyone likes to eat especially those who loves sour food. I always cook this at home (Bacolod), not only because they requested for it but its also easy to prepare. Actually its one of their MRD (Most Requested Dish). And its not everyday that i get the luxury of time to cook something for them, its my way of showing that i love them... =)


Menu for the day: Sinigang

Ingredients:
2pc raddish, sliced
1pc calamansi
bundle of water spinach (kangkong)
1tbsp salt
1/2k pork
1pack Sinigang mix

you could also use:
tamarind powder or batwan (if available in your area)

Procedure:
1. In a large casserole, boil pork in about 4-5 cups of water. Add salt. Wait until pork becomes tender.
2. Add your sinigang mix or tamarind powder little by little until you get the right amount of sourness you want. Squeeze in calamansi juice.
3. Add raddish and wait for about 10 minutes. Season to taste.
4. Once sour broth is ok, add kangkong and let it boil once.
5. Turn off fire. Serve hot.


Tip: You could actually add any vegetables you want (eggplant, tomatoes, green beans, etc...), it all depends on your creativity and likes to eat.

In my case, i only used kangkong since i don't eat much green in broth.

So there you go... happy cooking and happy eating!! =)

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Mango Float

I've tried making different kind of floats at home for dessert and this is one of my favorites. Few ingredients and easy to prepare. Most of my friends already tried this, but for those who haven't here's how.

Ingredients:
1can condense milk
2box nestle cream
2pc ripe mangoes
1pack graham crackers

Procedure:
1. mix condense milk and nestle cream in a bowl. Set aside the cream mixture.
2. Remove mango skin and slice mangoes into long, thin strips.
3. Arrange crackers at the bottom of container and spread 1/3 of cream mixture on top.
4. Layer sliced mangoes on top of cream mixture.
5. Repeat procedure 1-4 until all cream are used.
6. Chill and serve.

You could substitute mangoes with any of your favorite fruit or you could use fruit cocktail.

Next time i'll post here my Coffee-Choco Float recipe...

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Buttered Garlic Prawn

This morning I woke up early just to prepare my ingredients for buttered garlic prawn, and since i have an available white wine in the ref i marinated the prawns with it. After an hour i cook the prawns with butter and garlic, and the result, the prawns were hard and dry =(. So i decided to change my dish, i bought a bottle of Sprite from the store and pour the whole content into the pan. Add a little soy sauce and a dash of salt and pepper.

This was not the plan but since the first attempt for buttered garlic prawn failed i invented something different. I don't know what to call this dish, a prawn marinated with white wine, sauteed with butter and garlic and boiled with Sprite; a mix of three prawn recipes i think.

It's OK, a little experiment with food won't hurt. And the result?? We'll know that after lunch, hehe...

Learned Lesson:

Bad - don't marinate your prawn with wine if you don't drink one, you won't like the taste.

Good - at least you tried! =)

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Chopsuey

Just last night a great idea came to mind, I'll blog everything that i cook. I'm a newbie when it comes to cooking but growing up with a father who's a good cook, i think I've inherited a little.

I started cooking just a month ago and luckily i got good results, some are even perfectly delicious. But there's no proof to it, right?! So i asked some of my office-mates/friends to comment on the food, i think that would be fair enough.

Menu for the day: Chop Suey

veggies:
2pc carrots
1pc cauliflower
1pc sayote
1pc green bell pepper
1pack chicharo
1pack young corn
cabbage

Ingredients:
1bar butter or margarine (or veg oil)
1pc red onions, medium, sliced
5cloves garlic, minced
1/4k shrimps or
1pack shrimp pangsahog (wet section in groceries)
1can mushroom
1tbsp soy sauce
2cups water
2tsp corn starch
10pcs quail eggs
salt and pepper

Procedure:
1. Slice vegetables into bite size. Put a tablespoon of butter into a heated pan, wait till bubbles disappear. Add sliced carrots and stir fry, don't over cook. (Tip: get a slice and take a bite, should be crunchy and not too tender). Follow the same procedure to the remaining sliced veggies, do it by group. Set aside.

2. Heat pan. Add a tsp of butter or veg oil and sautee garlic, onion and shrimp. Wait till the shrimp turns pink then add the mushroom. Add soysauce.

3. Dissolve cornstarch in water.

4. Add water mixture into the pan. Wait to boil. If you want the sauce to be thick, just add more cornstarch to the water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To Serve:
1. Pour the sauce into the veggies. Add quail eggs. Serve hot.


So there you go, a healthy good food for everyone...


Btw, here are my friends comments:

- ok ra xa... lami kay daghan ang ingredients... mas lami kung tunay na pasayan...
- lami na jud kaayo...
- hehehe kulang itlog bitin.
- box office... sweet tooth ko daan so mas namian ko ang tam-is na chopsuey nga daw ginbutangan bala harina...


See yah!